the super investigator: understanding today’s “always on” … · 2013-01-17 · the super...

The Super Investigator: Understanding Today’s “Always On” Prospective Student

A rePOrT OnPrOSPecTIve STUdenTS And The cOllege decISIOn PrOceSSlIPmAn heArne Key InSIghTS JAnUAry 2013

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Understanding Today’s college-Bound Students

“Super Investigators” and Their Preferences: Money and Major Dominate . . . . . . . . 8

Information Sources: The Emergence of Online Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

The College Search: An All-Consuming Enterprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Research Sources Play Different Roles in the College Search Process . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Evaluating What Works: Implications for Colleges and Universities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Stealth Applicants and the College Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Special Populations

Transfer Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

International Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Advertising and the college decision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Table of Contents

Copyright© 2013 Lipman Hearne, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted without the prior written permission of Lipman Hearne.

Introduction

2 Lipman Hearne Key insigHts January 2013

A Report on Prospective Students and the College Decision Process

Today’s college-bound prospects are

social media natives. What’s a college

marketer to do?

By Tom Abrahamson

Chairman, Lipman Hearne

With the rise of social media influencing

consumer decision making across the

board, the process of choosing a college

has changed dramatically in the last

decade. What has historically been a tightly

controlled and regimented communication

exchange between prospective students

and colleges is now largely self-directed

and self-managed by the student and

supplemented with copious advice from

people he or she knows—as well as the

opinions and experiences of countless

others known only through an avatar and

a username.

Gone are the days when researching a

college consisted of poring over guide-

books, such as the 1,591-page edition of

Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges.

In my years as enrollment manager and

dean of admissions at DePaul University,

I anticipated (and observed) that students

would follow their “book research” by

submitting an information request, complet-

ing a paper application, and mailing it to

the college. A different world confronts

admissions officers today.

Popular colleges are inundated by applica-

tions, an increasing number of which are

from “stealth” applicants (meaning stu-

dents who first become known to the

college when they submit their application).

And the number of schools to which

prospective students apply is rising each

year. Since 1990, the number of students

applying to seven or more colleges has

risen from 9 percent to 22 percent, accord-

ing to the Higher Education Research

Institute at UCLA. The old maxim “apply to

three colleges: your reach school, your

target best-fit college, and your safety

school” has been replaced; the advice high

school counselors give ambitious students

today is to apply to four to six colleges at a

minimum. Several important and time-hon-

ored practices that governed the decision

process, such as need-blind admission and

non-negotiable scholarship awards and

discounts, are also gone.

So how shall college marketers proceed?

Instincts honed over the years serve us

well, but when it comes to making signifi-

cant shifts, data is an invaluable tool.

Those who are inclined to make strategic

decisions supported by data now have an

excellent new resource in the findings of

this study.

Introduction

3Lipman Hearne Key insigHts January 2013

Introduction

The groundbreaking research presented in

the following pages examines the behavior

and attitudes of a trailblazing population of

prospective students: students who are

tantamount to the early digital music

adopters who turned to the Internet for

music instead of buying CDs from Best

Buy—and made a new phenomenon called

iTunes necessary (and hugely profitable). In

other words, the methods today’s students

use for researching and selecting colleges

are becoming the new “business as

usual”—and colleges must adapt, anticipate

applicants’ behavior, and seek to differenti-

ate themselves in as yet unfamiliar forums.

By employing this study’s findings, higher

education marketers and enrollment manag-

ers can devise more effective branding and

messaging strategies to deliver communica-

tions through the most utilized channels and

at the most appropriate time to reach savvy

prospective students at key stages of the

college decision process. In the end, our

shared purpose is as it ever was: helping

today’s students discover and embrace the

“perfect fit” college.

About This report

To gain fresh insights into how students are

consuming and responding to ever-changing

college marketing channels, Lipman Hearne

partnered with college search website

Cappex.com to survey its users—high school

juniors and seniors, and college students

who are considering transferring from their

current school. With more than 11,000 valid

respondents nationwide, this is the largest

survey of its kind ever conducted.

We focused our study specifically on the

robust community at Cappex.com, which

makes up 25 percent of the entire U.S.

college-bound population. Users of

college search sites (e.g., Cappex,

Collegeboard, College Confidential, Rate My

Professor) are actively engaged in nontradi-

tional means of researching and applying to

colleges. Hundreds of thousands of Cappex

members have created up-to-date profiles

that include the colleges in which they’re

interested, academic performance, and

demographic, psychographic, and behavioral

information. We gained insights into prospec-

tive students’ innovative research methods,

what they’re looking for, and what pushes

them to apply to, and ultimately to enroll at,

colleges nationwide.

This report:

•Revealstherelativeimportance,frequen-

cy, and timing of the information sources

college-bound students use during their

college decision process

•Depictshowcollege-boundstudentsuse

various information sources



•Addressesstealthprospects’and

applicants’ behavior

•Describesattitudestowardonlineprivacy

and personas

•Summarizestheroleofparentsinthe

college search process

•Prioritizestheimportanceofcollege

attributes according to various student

segments

Please note margin flags

indicating topics on which more

information is available. Do not hesitate

to contact us if you would like to discuss

these items further.

The Study Sample

From July 11 to July 31, 2012, Lipman

Hearne and Cappex.com collected data

from registered Cappex.com users in an

extensive nationwide survey. The sample

included graduate and international

students; adult learners; current college-

bound high school sophomores, juniors,

and seniors; and enrolled college students

who are thinking about transferring to

another college.

The vast majority (97%) of survey respon-

dents were traditional-age prospective

first-time students, but there were also

enough potential transfer students (N=297)

that we were able to look at this segment in

isolation. Areas where transfer students

differ from the first-time students are noted

throughout the report. Responses were also

analyzed by high school class year—rising

juniors (N=865), rising seniors (N=3,915),

and graduating seniors (N=6,119).

All respondents are registered at

Cappex.com, an online community allowing

students to create a profile and then

engage with institutions to determine fit.

To learn more about Cappex, visit their

website at www.cappex.com. Since all

survey respondents were members of

Cappex.com, some sample bias is expected.

Respondents were considering a range of

institution types. Differences among

students considering a particular type of

institution are noted throughout the report,

where relevant.

Respondents rated 1,845 different

institutions nationwide. The list of

institutions and number of ratings is

posted on the Lipman Hearne website:

www.lipmanhearne.com/super-investigators.

Custom reports on specific institutions

are available upon request.

mOre InfO AvAIlABle

mOre InfO AvAIlABle


FIGURE 1

Population profile

Gender

Female 69.2%

Male 30.8%

Race

White 46%

African American 21%

Hispanic 17%

Asian 10%

Native American 1.5%

Other 3%

Don’t know/prefer not to answer 1.5%

First Generation College Student

Yes 34.4%

No 65.6%

South Atlantic22.6%

Pacific20.3%

CentralNortheast

14.7%

Central Southwest

12.6%

Mid Atlantic11.1%

Mountain6.5%

CentralSoutheast

4.7%

Central Northwest

4.3%

New England

3.2%

Hometown Region



About lipman hearne

Lipman Hearne is the nation’s leading

marketing and communications firm serving

higher education organizations. For more

than 40 years, the firm has worked with

more than 400 colleges and universities,

conducting extensive market research,

developing strategic marketing plans, and

providing creative and tactical implementa-

tion services to help its clients achieve

their aggressive bottom-line goals in

enrollment, fundraising, and brand building.

With offices in Chicago and Washington, D.C.,

Lipman Hearne is led by marketing

specialists whose executive and agency

backgrounds include tenures in higher

education and nonprofit marketing,

advertising and branding, market research,

fundraising, and public affairs. For further

information about Lipman Hearne,

visit www.lipmanhearne.com or call

(312) 356-8000.

About cappex.com

Cappex.com is where online engagement

means recruitment results. It is a highly

cost-effective way to reach students as they

are actively discovering and researching

colleges online. More than 500 colleges

find their ideal enrollment candidates,

introduce them to their campuses, and

continue the conversation on Cappex,

where more than 4 million students have

gone to find their ideal college.

Founded in 2006, Cappex is based in

Highland Park, Illinois. To learn more

about Cappex.com, visit www.cappex.com

or Cappex’s Facebook page at

www.facebook.com/cappex.

About the lipman hearne Teen Panelists

Quotes in This report

Quotes labeled as “teen panelist” quotes

in this report were taken from a long-range

panel study being conducted by Lipman

Hearne, launched in September 2011. The

long-range study pinpoints how students

choose the colleges they do—and how the

decision-making process works from the

beginning of a student’s junior year of high

school. By the conclusion of the study, we

will have followed a panel of 18 students

(now seniors) for two full years, evaluating

their decision-making process via online

discussion groups and monthly homework

assignments covering a range of topics that

overlap with this survey’s focus.

Understanding Today’s College-Bound Students



“

“ “Super Investigators” and Their Preferences: Money and Major Dominate

Rank order of the most important characteristics when thinking about “good fit” by institution type

1 Offers good scholarships and financial aid packages to students

2 Major I am interested in has a strong academic reputation

3 Tuition and fees are affordable

4 Strong academic reputation

5 Helps graduates get good jobs

6 The campus is safe

7 Offers wide variety of majors and academic programs

8 The faculty are committed to excellence in teaching undergraduate students

9Offers many social activities, intramural athletics, student organizations and other opportunities to get involved on campus

10 Offers significant experiential learning opportunities such as internships

TablE 1

One objective of this study was to find out more about prospective students’ college prefer-

ences. To understand what students were looking for in a college, we asked respondents to

select up to five qualities most important to them from a list of 29 attributes. For example, is

a safe campus most important, or do students care more about academics? Is the college’s

overall reputation a critical factor, or just the reputation of a student’s intended major?

Of their preferred academic program, affordability and reputation were the most important

qualities. Good jobs after graduation also rose to the top. In similar research studies

conducted by Lipman Hearne, these same characteristics consistently emerge as priorities.

As such—and given other findings that suggest today’s students are “Super Investigators”

intent on drilling deeply into a wide range of factors—this set of characteristics should be

considered “must-have” attributes. These should serve as the foundation for successful

communications sent to prospective students. The following table details rank order of

characteristics defining good fit.

Students on Cappex.com are searching for colleges and scholarships that would be

a good fit, and they want to know about net costs, financial aid, their chances of

getting in, and what makes different campuses unique.

Chris Long, President, Cappex.com


“Super Investigators” and Their Preferences: Money and Major Dominate

mOre InfO AvAIlABle

For the most part, the “must haves” cut across institution types, with nuanced shifts in

priorities.

• Students considering research and master’s degree–granting schools: These students

identified the same 10 characteristics as most important, though the rank order varied

somewhat.

• Students seeking bachelor’s degree–granting schools: These sudents saw small class

size as a more important factor than offering a wide variety of majors.

• Students interested in two-year institutions: These students prioritized a flexible class

schedule and convenient location to their hometown above offering a wide variety of majors

and programs.

• Students considering out-of-state public schools: These students were more con-

cerned about strong academic reputation than cost.

• Students considering in-state and out-of-state private schools: These students were

most concerned about financial aid defraying the cost of tuition.

For more details on good fit by institution type, please contact us. We have details on the

following institution types:

•PhD-granting

•Master’s-granting

•Bachelor’s-granting

•Associate’s-granting

•In-state

•Out-of-state

•Public

•Private

As a starting point, it’s helpful to know the characteristics students value the most. But

just how do students go about discovering which schools and colleges have these attri-

butes? What information sources do they regard as credible, and what evidence eases

their minds about what they might expect from a certain school or college? The findings

detailed in the following pages paint a picture of today’s prospective students as Super

Investigators—savvy, proactive, and frequent users of a wide variety of formal and informal

channels in the quest to evaluate and ultimately choose a college.



“

“

“

“Information Sources: The Emergence of Online Channels

We asked survey respondents to comment on marketing channels that are typically per-

ceived as nontraditional—specifically online sources like college search sites, college

admissions sites, and social media.

Online marketing channels are now a go-to source at all stages of the college decision.

College search sites play a significant role in prospective students’ research. Search sites

give students access to rich data about thousands of colleges based on their specified

criteria. But college search sites aren’t students’ only research source. Super Investigators

use a combination of channels to inform their college search—pulling data from multiple

sources, including mainstream marketing materials. As new tools are adopted, the old or

more traditional ones remain part of the mix. In fact, direct marketing (i.e., emails, view-

books, postcards, and other communications addressed directly to the student) and word of

mouth are still very effective information channels, according to survey participants.

College viewbooks still have a role in the college search process. While they are

used less frequently, they have important pass-along value, and those of the

favored school are often kept as handy reference tools.

Mark Nelson, Senior Vice President, Lipman Hearne

Over the last year, the most innovative college search sites have shifted from

providing basic information about colleges to more personalized offerings and

engagement opportunities for students.

Chris Long, President, Cappex.com


fIgUre 3

The 16 specific information sources used by the majority of respondents SOURCE: Please indicate which of the following information sources you have used to learn about colleges and universities.

Email from a college

Letter mailed to your home from a college

Cappex.com

Postcards mailed to your home

Collegeboard.org

High school guidance counselor

Homepage of a college’s website

Tour of campus

Friend

Search engine

Brochure from a specific academic dept.

Admissions page of a college’s site

Viewbook mailed to your home

Scholarship/financial aid brochure

Teacher

Mother/father/guardian

0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

fIgUre 2

Use of information channel in college searchSOURCE: Please indicate which of the following information sources you have used to learn about colleges and universities.

NOTE: The graph aggregates 41 channels into seven types.

Direct marketing

Word of mouth

College search site

College website

Search engine

Social media

Printed guidebooks

98%

93%

85%

78%

62%

55%

36%

87%

86%

71%

69%

64%

63%

63%

62%

62%

62%

59%

58%

58%

56%

55%

54%



The meat of a college website: not just the homepage, but the admissions page and

academics pages.

There are three areas of a college’s web presence students told us are important to them:

the homepage, the admissions page, and academic pages. Academic pages may be an

overlooked opportunity.

The majority of respondents visited a college’s homepage (63%) or admissions page (58%).

A smaller but significant number had visited the pages for a specific academic department of

interest to learn about colleges (39%). Those respondents who visited a college website but

didn’t use the homepage went directly to the admissions page or a specific department’s page

This may be students who entered the site through search engines, other portals, or emails.

Student’s seeking specific information frequented different sections of colleges’ websites.

For example:

• homepages attract students interested in an institution’s academic reputation, or in

opportunities to get involved in on-campus and off-campus activities.

•Admissions pages attract students interested in an institution’s academic reputation,

rankings, and faculty commitment to teaching undergraduate students.

•Academic department pages attracted students interested in an institution’s reputation in

their major of interest and faculty commitment to teaching undergraduate students.

•faculty profiles attracted a small percentage of students interested in developing critical

thinking skills rather than preparing for a specific career.

Social media and the “serious business” of a college search.

Not surprisingly, college-bound teens are using social media. Almost all of the respondents

have a Facebook, Twitter, or similar social media account (88%). And yet, very few respon-

dents indicated that social media influenced their ultimate college decision. How are stu-

dents using social media, then?

Facebook was the single most used site (40%). Facebook was commonly used in a passive

manner—such as reading status updates and checking event invitations; 28 percent of

respondents indicated that they used the site by visiting or liking a specific college’s page.

Only 8 percent of all of the students surveyed said they used it to poll friends/start a

conversation about a college.


NOTE: All percentages in the chart represent a portion of the total sample following the path (e.g., 45% of students use a college website AND the homepage AND the admission’s page).

Use homepage

63%

Don’t use homepage

29%

Use college website

92%

Use department page

33%

Use admissions page

45%

Use department page

6%

Use admissions page

13%

fIgUre 4

College website user patterns

fIgUre 5

Used social media to learn about college SOURCE: Please indicate which of the following information sources you have used to learn about colleges and universities.

YouTube21%

Facebook40%

Google+17%

Twitter9%

Pinterest2%

Yelp1%

Foursquare1%



“

“

“ “Twitter was less frequently used in the college decision (9%). Twitter users were not likely

to post updates; only 3 percent of all respondents used Twitter to communicate with

friends about a college. Though a majority of these prospective students said they use a

social media website in their college search (55%), just over one-third of graduating

seniors used social media to engage with a college (37%).

If the advantage of public-facing and (increasingly) open social media tools like Facebook

and Twitter is that they invite previously unknown parties to engage with one another, why

does it seem that college-bound students are merely listening? Separately, Lipman

Hearne’s teen panelists have indicated that they prefer to preserve social media forums

as a “safe space” for expression and interacting with friends, and to keep their interac-

tions with a prospective college more formal and intentional.

[If I worked for a college,] I would use social networking sites to communicate

with high schoolers. We are constantly on the computer and nosing around in

other people’s business, so maybe we could add nosing into the college’s

business. I would give the quick facts about the school online with easy access.

A lot of the time you have to search through a college’s website to find that

information and if it is not easy to find, I give up.

Lipman Hearne Teen Panelist

We have a new tradition at our high school. When we hit senior year, we all

change our Facebook names so colleges can’t spy on us. For example, Emily

Lamb might change her name to Emily Sheep.



Information Sources: The Emergence of Online Channel

Parents aren’t using facebook to engage in the college search process.

While students were using social media sites themselves, very few indicated that their

parents were using social media for the college search—3 percent indicated that their

parents were using their own (the parent’s) account in the search, and 2 percent indicated

that their parents were using the student’s account in the search. Only 2 percent indicated

that their parents had enhanced the student’s social media profile in anticipation of the

college search.

Social media habits and their impact on college admittance.

Although only 5 percent of respondents created a profile specifically to use in their college

search, many did believe that institutions may be viewing them. Nearly half of traditional-age

prospects (44%) believed that colleges were very likely or somewhat likely to look at the

social media profile of a prospective student.

The role of college search sites.

Eighty-five percent of survey participants used a college search website to learn about col-

leges. But it was surprising to see that beyond Cappex.com (71%) and Collegeboard.org (64%),

other well-known sites were not receiving universal usage; the four remaining college search

sites in the study had usage comparable to printed guidebooks (34% compared to 36%).

TABle 2

How college search sites are used SOURCE: Do you typically use each of the following actively in your college search (such as by posting reviews, adding to discussions, etc.)

or passively (such as by reading reviews posted by others)?

Used Actively Used Passively Not Used

Cappex.com 34% 37% 29%

Collegeboard.org 24% 40% 36%

Zinch.com 10% 20% 70%

CollegeConfidential.com 5% 10% 85%

PrincetonReview.com 4% 13% 83%

USNews.com 3% 9% 88%

RateMyProfessor.com 3% 8% 89%



FIGURE 6

To text or not to text?SOURCES: Would it be okay for a college that you have not yet contacted to send you a text message? Would it be okay for a college that you

have contacted to send you a text message?

College not reached out to College reached out to

27% 73%

As mentioned previously, sites like Collegeboard.org and PrincetonReview.com were typically

first used early in the decision process (sophomore year), presumably to provide introduc-

tory knowledge of options. Sites like Cappex.com were typically used later (the end of junior

year and beyond)—at a time when students start thinking practically about the college

decision and start focusing in on finding a good fit. Sites like RateMyProfessor.com were

used after graduation from high school, perhaps in anticipation of selecting courses for a

student’s first term.

We defined student usage of search sites as either “active” or “passive.” Active use implies

that students were contributing content to the sites they were engaged in. Passive use

means that students were reviewing information contributed by other users.

Similar to social media sites, college search websites were primarily being used passively in

the college search. The exception was Cappex.com, which was used actively by around one

in three respondents. Almost as many (29%) had responded to a message from a college

sent through the Cappex website.


Information Sources: The Emergence of Online Channel

There was a connection between the attributes a student was seeking and search site

usage. College search sites were used more frequently by students interested in an institu-

tion’s ranking, academic reputation, how well graduates are prepared for graduate school,

and off-campus activities.

mobile data and apps: never a bad place or time to be searching.

Students do not limit their college search to their home or school computers. Nearly half

had visited a college’s website on a mobile device (45%). One in ten had downloaded an app

from a college on a mobile device.

Texting was not used extensively in the college decision—only 9 percent had texted with

someone at a college and only 5 percent learned about college via a text message. How-

ever, the majority of college-bound students were open to communicating with a college via

text—provided that it was a college that they had previously reached out to. This represents

an enhancement opportunity; few colleges use texts to connect with prospective students.

Investment in this emerging communication could behoove enrollment teams who are trying

to increase their interaction with high-priority students.

email overload?

Almost all respondents had received an email from a college (86%). In fact, they received a

lot of emails from colleges. In the average week, they received five emails from colleges they

had previously reached out to and 12 unsolicited emails.

But, despite the volume, the emails were flowing both ways. Half of all traditional-age respon-

dents responded to an email from one of their preferred colleges (including 66 percent of

graduating seniors) and half emailed at least two of their preferred colleges (including 64% of

graduating seniors).

Nearly 40 percent of the respondents set up a dedicated email account specifically for the

college process. Of those who did, most checked their account daily (71%).



“ “

The College Search: An All-Consuming Enterprise

Prospective student engagement in the college search.

Fifty-five percent of college-bound students that we surveyed are investigating colleges

every day. They conduct much of their college research online and engage socially—

through discussions with friends, counselors, and parents—to hone their college search.

Direct mail and email are still important, but online vehicles have emerged as standard

college search sources.

Approach to college search varies based on institution of interest.

Students with a strong interest in an out-of-state private college or university were the most

highly engaged in the college decision-making process. However, an ongoing commitment to

the college search was seen across student populations, regardless of the type of institu-

tion they were considering.

Not only have online sources supplanted guidebooks, but the college search

process is very social in nature, with friends playing a bigger role than counselors,

teachers, parents, or other family members. Word-of-mouth reputation and ‘buzz’

are important and need to be a larger focus of a school’s marketing efforts.

These students are ‘always on,’ always searching. The college search process

is all-consuming, and these findings clearly indicate that students partake in

some college search activity on a daily or weekly basis.



fIgUre 7

Frequency of information channel usage SOURCE: How frequently do you typically use each of the following in your college search?


Any

Word of mouth

Direct marketing

Search engine

Social media

College search site

College website

Printed guidebooks

Weekly Daily

0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

76%55%

50%25%

52%21%

40%20%

37%17%

50%16%

39%10%

6%1%


fIgUre 8

Frequency of information source usage SOURCE: How frequently do you typically use each of the following in your college search?

NOTE: Individual bars may not add up to total due to rounding.

0 20% 40% 80% 100%60%

Daily Weekly Monthly Less frequently

*Less than 2%

28%16%25%18% 87%

36%20%22%8% 86%

16%13%30%13% 71%

31%15%17%7% 69%

28%11%15%11% 62%

25%17%19%5% 64%

50%7%4%* 62%

19%12%24%8% 63%

31%15%11%6% 63%

13%9%20%20% 62%

27%15%13%4% 59%

20%13%20%5% 58%

25%15%13%4% 56%

28%12%13%4% 57%

28%11%11%5% 55%

13%7%16%18% 54%

39%7%4%* 50%

37%5%3%* 47%

15%9%12%3% 39%

15%4%8%13% 40%

16%7%8%7% 38%

21%8%5%* 36%



Cappex.com

Postcards mailed to your home from a college

Collegeboard.org

Homepage of a college’s website


Friend

Tour of campus

Search engine (e.g., Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.)


Admissions page of a college’s website

Admissions viewbook mailed to your home


Teacher


High school visit by a college representative

College fairs

Facebook

Pages for a specific academic department

Other family member

Printed guidebooks/magazines

Information session/open house on campus

Unsolicited phone call from a college

Zinch

YouTube

Information session in your area

Google+

PrincetonReview.com

Summer session/program at a college

College Confidential

Coach

USNews.com

RateMyProfessor.com

DVD or video mailed to you by a college

Twitter

Faculty profile on site

Online open house

Online chat with admissions counselor

Text message from a college

27%4%3% 34%

22%5%4%* 33%

10%7%10%4% 30%

9%3%5%4% 21%

16%3%* 20%

5%3%5%5% 17%

9%4%4% 17%

13%*** 16%

7%3%4%* 15%

5%3%3%* 13%

5%3%3%* 11%

3%*3%3% 9%

8%** 11%

8%** 10%

5%** 7%

6%* 7%

5%* 7%

4%** 7%


“ “Research Sources Play Different Roles in the College Search Process

research sources play different roles at different decision stages.

We asked students to identify which marketing channels and information sources led them to

take one of three actions in their college search: visiting a college’s website, attending an

information session, or visiting a campus. For example, college search sites were influential in

deciding which college websites to visit. In turn, those institutional sites helped students decide

which campuses to visit. The college search sites act as building blocks in the investigation

stage of the college decision process. They form a strong foundation, along with word of mouth

and direct marketing, to get students to take the next step—visiting a college’s website.

many paths lead to a college’s website.

More than three in four students learned about colleges by visiting institution websites.

Knowing the importance of these website visits, we asked what sources of information

students used to decide which institution websites to visit. Direct marketing played a key

role in this regard; half of the students indicated that letters mailed to their home from a

college (49%) or an email from a college (48%) were used when deciding which websites to

visit. College search sites, such as Cappex.com (47%) and Collegeboard.org (40%) were

also important in generating website traffic. Word of mouth was also important; 70 percent

of students indicated that this channel was used in deciding which websites to visit.

While letters and emails from colleges successfully drive students to action,

their primary role is driving students to the college’s website. That central hub of

information is where students decide if they want to visit campus or apply.

Despite the incredibly important role of online sources of information, direct

mail is still one of the most effective means of reaching today’s students.


•SearchEngines •CollegeSearch Site •DirectMarketing

College Website campus visit



Information sessions as see-and-be-seen opportunities.

The research revealed that direct marketing and institution websites were influential when

deciding which information sessions to attend. Letter from colleges (42%), email from

colleges (42%), and homepage of website (41%) were the sources selected most frequently.

The all-important campus visit.

Few students enroll at a college they have never visited. So we asked students what infor-

mation sources they used in deciding which campuses to visit. Institutional websites were

very important in this respect. Forty-nine percent of students indicated that they visited the

homepage and 37 percent indicated that they used the admissions page. Direct marketing,

specifically letters mailed to their home from a college (41%), also played a key role. And, of

course a student’s mother/father/guardian (36%) was shown to be influential in deciding

where to visit.

TABle 3

Information channels used in making important decisions SOURCES: Please indicate which of the following information sources you have used to learn about colleges and universities.

Please indicate which of the following information sources you used to decide which campuses to visit.

Which of the following information sources prompted you to visit a college website?

Please indicate which of the following information sources you used to decide which information sessions to attend.


Used when deciding

Used to learn about colleges

Which websites to visit

Which info sessions to attend

Which campuses to visit

College website 78% 47% 56% 63%

College search site 85% 64% 40% 47%

Social media 55% 18% 13% 14%

Search engine 62% 37% 21% 30%

Direct marketing 98% 72% 66% 63%

Word of mouth 93% 70% 60% 69%

Printed guidebooks 36% 13% 9% 13%


See table on the next page for related data.

TABle 4

Information sources used in making important decisions SOURCES: Please indicate which of the following information sources you have used to learn about colleges and universities.

Please indicate which of the following information sources you used to decide which campuses to visit.



Used when deciding

Used to learn about colleges

Which websites to visit

Which info sessions to attend

Which campuses to visit

Email from a college 87% 48% 42% 35%

Letter mailed to your home from a college 86% 49% 42% 41%

Cappex.com 71% 47% 29% 32%

Postcards mailed to your home from a college 69% 34% 24% 26%

Collegeboard.org 64% 40% 24% 27%

Homepage of a college’s website 63% 35% 41% 49%

High school guidance counselor 63% 30% 24% 23%

Search engine (e.g., Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.) 62% 37% 21% 30%

Friend 62% 26% 18% 25%

Tour of campus 62% 25% 27% 31%

Brochure from a specific academic department of a college 59% 26% 19% 24%

Admissions page of a college’s website 58% 28% 34% 37%

Admissions viewbook mailed to your home 57% 28% 20% 27%

Scholarship/financial aid brochure 56% 23% 17% 20%

Teacher 55% 23% 16% 19%

Mother/father/guardian 54% 31% 27% 36%

High school visit by a college representative 50% 21% 17% 18%

College fairs 47% 26% 20% 22%

Facebook 40% 13% 10% 10%

Pages for a specific academic department or major 39% 20% 19% 24%

Other family member 38% 15% 10% 15%

Printed guidebooks/magazines 36% 13% 9% 13%

Information session/open house on campus 34% 11% 13% 13%

Unsolicited phone call from a college 33% 7% 6% 5%

Zinch 30% 13% 7% 7%

YouTube 21% 6% 4% 6%

Information session in your area 20% 7% 6% 7%

PrincetonReview.com 17% 7% 4% 4%

Google+ 17% 6% 4% 5%

Summer session/program at a college 16% 6% 6% 7%

College Confidential 15% 6% 4% 5%

Coach 13% 6% 5% 5%

USNews.com 11% 7% 4% 5%

RateMyProfessor.com 11% 1% 1% 1%

DVD or video mailed to you by a college 10% 3% 2% 3%

Twitter 9% 3% 2% 2%

Profile of a faculty member found on a college’s website 8% 2% 1% 2%

Text message from a college 7% 1% 1% 1%

Online open house 7% 1% 2% 2%

Online chat with admissions counselor 7% 2% 2% 2%



colleges can better leverage the most influential information sources.

One finding is abundantly clear: Super Investigators rely on an impressive number of sources

to inform their college search process. How can we better see which sources are utilized

most frequently—and which are highly influential but underutilized?

Figure 9 is designed to help readers visualize the relative usage and effectiveness of

information sources. “Effectiveness” is what we’ve named the composite influence rating of

information sources (the average usage in the decision of which websites to visit, which

information sources to attend, and which campuses to visit).

Frequently used and highly influential sources are “must-do” communications vehicles. These

included direct marketing, college homepage, search engines, select college search sites

(Cappex.com, Collegeboard.org), campus tours, and guidance counselors. These tactics all

require a continued investment in the interest of connecting with prospective students.

The analysis revealed three enhancement opportunities—sources that were highly influential

to those students who used them, but that were used by less than 60 percent of students.

These sources included parents, admissions viewbooks, and the admissions pages of a

college’s website. Colleges can enhance students’ decision-making processes by:

•Makingsurestudentsknowtheirparentsarebeingembracedaspartoftheprocess,through

content directed toward their parents (or toward the parents and students as a team);

•Evaluatingthereachofsourcessuchasviewbooks,ensuringtheyareseenbytheappropri-

ate students, and making sure the content is compelling;

•Revisitingadmissionswebsitesfromthepointofviewofaprospectivestudent—aperson

who has yet to make an emotional investment in a college and who is accustomed to

streamlined, uncomplicated yet powerful user experiences elsewhere on the web.

Our analysis also revealed an “optimization” opportunity—a source that was frequently used

but had relatively low influence rating: friends. Institutions have an opportunity to stimulate

more influential peer-to-peer conversations via strategic messaging in online forums, social

networking sites, and other places that students gather and talk.

Evaluating What Works: Implications for Colleges and Universities


fIgUre 9

Opportunities that leverage information sourcesSOURCES: Please indicate which of the following information sources you have used to learn about colleges and universities.

Please indicate which of the following information sources you used to decide which campuses to visit.Which of the following information sources prompted you to visit a college website?


NOTE: “Percentage that found source influential” reflects the composite of the influence on the campus visit, website visit, and

information session attendance.

50%

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0

0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

EnhancEmEnt OppOrtunitiEs

OptimizatiOn OppOrtunities

eff

ecti

vene

ss

Usage

Twitter

DVD

Faculty profile

Online open house

RateMyProfessor

Online chat

Text message

•Letter mailed home

•Homepage •Email

•Cappex.com

•Collegeboard.org•Search engine•Postcards•Campus tour

•High school counselor

Admissions web page•Parent•viewbook• •friendDepartment brochure••College fair

•Aid brochure•Teacher

Department pages•

•Other family

•Facebook•Guidebook

•Zinch

•Phone call

High school visit• Info session•

••••

•••••••••••

YouTube

PrincetonReview.com


USNews.com

Google+

Coach

Summer session

EVALUATE

MUST DO’S



““

““

The truly social aspect of the search—word of mouth and advice from friends,

parents, and other influencers—is also incredibly effective at driving students to

explore a college further. Parents represent an untapped marketing opportunity

for colleges. And while social media doesn’t seem to drive students to action, it

can’t be overlooked. More than half the students use it to learn about colleges,

and it’s where they are talking to their friends. Schools need to monitor com-

ments made online and make sure the buzz is positive.


I talk to everybody about college. Literally, I talk to my parents, friends,

teachers—everyone—about college.


When it comes to accessing information sources, timing is everything.

As can be expected, students tend to use certain information sources at different times

throughout a long search process. Some sources are accessed during the early stages of

college investigation and are not as widely used in junior or senior year. For example, advice

from a parent or guardian guides students from the early stages of search, and search

engines such as Google appear to be go-to online tools when most are narrowing their

college preferences. Other sources, such as campus tours and college search sites are

more likely to be leveraged starting junior year, when students are starting to get more

serious about their options and are applying to and enrolling in the colleges of their choice.

Information sources that first reach students late in the search process may be those that

pertain to very specific decision-making steps—most notably, financial aid brochures. Given

how highly students rank financial aid and affordability as essential characteristics in a

college, it may be advantageous to put a resource like this in the hands of students (and

parents) earlier in the process.


fIgUre 10

When first used information sourcesSOURCE: When did you first start using each of the following?

NOTE: Individual bars may not add up to total due to rounding.

0 20% 40% 80% 100%60%



Cappex.com

Postcards mailed to your home from a college

Collegeboard.org


Friend

Homepage of a college’s site

Tour of campus

Search engine (e.g., Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.)


Admissions page of a college’s site


Admissions viewbook mailed to your home

Teacher


High school visit by a college representative

College fairs

Facebook

Specific academic dept/major on site

Other family member

Printed guidebooks/magazines

Information session/open house on campus

Unsolicited phone call from a college

Zinch

YouTube

Information session in your area

PrincetonReview.com

Google+

Summer session/program at a college


Coach

RateMyProfessor.com

USNews.com

Faculty profile on site

DVD or video mailed to you by a college

Twitter

Text message from a college

Online chat with admissions counselor

Online open house

Advertising in your high school newspaper

Prior to sophomore year Sophomore year Junior year After junior year

*Less than 2%

23%24%27%14% 87%

20%24%29%14% 86%

26%20%17%7% 71%

14%21%24%10% 69%

10%17%15%22% 63%

11%13%13%26% 63%

8%18%21%16% 64%

25%17%12%9% 62%

7%9%12%34% 62%

17% 14%15%16% 63%

15%19%17%8% 59%

14%17%19%8% 57%

16%16%15%10% 58%

22%16%12%6% 58%

6%8%9%31% 54%

8%12%11%23% 55%

13%18%10%8% 50%

8%17%13%9% 47%

8%6%8%18% 40%

10%10%12%7% 39%

4%5%7%22% 38%

8%11%11%6% 36%

14%11%6%3% 34%

14%11%6%* 33%

12%7%7%4% 30%

4%3%3%10% 21%

5%7%5%3% 20%

4%5%6%3% 17%

4%3%3%7% 17%

4%5%5%3% 15%

7%*** 11%

*3%3%4% 13%

*3%3%3% 11%

4%*** 8%

* *3%3% 10%

**3% 3% 9%

4%** 7%

4%** 7%

*** 6%

*** 7%

7%4%3% 16%*



Stealth Applicants and the College Search

Rank order of most important characteristics when thinking about “good fit”: Stealth students







7 Offers global experiences such as study abroad


9 High ranking in U.S. News & World Report or other publications


Stealth applicant behavior.

Twenty-three percent of the graduating seniors we surveyed applied “stealth” to at least one of

their preferred colleges. This prompts the question: Why would a student ever apply to a

college without first letting it know he/she was interested? In general, students only applied to

colleges that they hadn’t visited or reached out to under certain circumstances. For example,

they were more likely to apply “stealth” if the school:

•Hadafreeapplication

•Hadaneasyapplication

• Isasafetyschool

•Advertisedscholarships

• Isthealmamaterofafamilymember

• Isprestigious/well-known

• Isrecommendedbyacounselor

• Isfarawayfromtheirhometown

TablE 5

Stealth applicants apply to colleges under the radar of admissions teams. Their behavior is

of particular interest because their unexpected applications can complicate schools’

admissions planning and projections. As the table below describes, there was little differ-

ence in the priorities of stealth students and the priorities of the average student.


Stealth Applicants and the College Search

“ “

We asked those graduating seniors to identify what actions they took when submitting a

stealth application. Seventy-four percent of the stealth applicants we surveyed used college

search sites. We often think of stealth applicants as conducting their entire search online,

but according to the Super Investigators we surveyed, prospective students may be visiting

campuses unofficially off the radar of college admissions even before applying. Admissions

teams that are interested in uncovering and connecting with stealth students may want to

require website visitors to supply simple contact information such as name and email

address in order to access certain sections of the admissions website.

It’s clear that stealth applicants are investigating the colleges they are applying

to, both before and after application. Colleges need to rethink their ‘suspect’

communications and outreach, considering that these students are watching and

listening, but will not tell you they are interested. Therefore, colleges

should reach out to these students in a more focused way, once they receive

their application.

Tom Abrahamson, Chairman, Lipman Hearne


fIgUre 11

What do stealth applicants do to learn about colleges? SOURCE: When did you first start using each of the following?

Visited college’s website

Received a viewbook or letter in the mail from the college

Received an email from the college

Visited campus (without checking in at the admissions office)

Attended an information session hosted by the college

Visited the college’s Facebook page

Liked the college on Facebook

Followed the college on Twitter

Responded to an email sent by the college

Visited campus (checking in at the admissions office)

Called the college

Responded to postal mail sent by the college

Emailed the college

Filled out inquiry form on college’s website

Before applying After applying

0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

40%74%

42%46%

68%42%

36%33%

54%22%

33%15%

20%6%

3%1%

50%

45%

43%

35%

30%

18%

Special Populations



Transfer Students

Transfer student preferences.

For the most part, transfer students were looking for many of the same qualities and

characteristics as first-time college students. They named affordable tuition and fees, good

scholarships and financial aid packages, and a strong academic reputation for their major

as their top priorities when selecting a college. Differences did emerge, however, among

second-tier priorities. Transfer students placed a higher value on study abroad experiences

and were also more inclined to prefer a location close to their hometown. Characteristics

that did not emerge as priorities for this population at large: significant on-campus student

life experiences, and experiential learning opportunities such as internships.

Rank order of most important characteristics when thinking about “good fit”: Transfer students


2Offers good scholarships and financial aid packages to students

3Major I am interested in has a strong academic reputation





8The faculty are committed to excellence in teaching undergraduate students

9 Located close to my hometown

10Offers a wide variety of majors and academic programs

TablE 6

Rank order of most important characteristics when thinking about “good fit”: First-time students

1Offers good scholarships and financial aid packages to students

2Major I am interested in has a strong academic reputation





7Offers a wide variety of majors and academic programs

8Offers many social activities, intramural athletics, student organizations and other opportunities to get involved on campus

9The faculty are committed to excellence in teaching undergraduate students

10Offers significant experiential learning opportunities such as internships

TablE 7


Transfer Students

“ “Transfer students: the self-directed search.

The majority of transfer students were actively engaged online in the college search on a

weekly basis. This suggests that first-time students had a lot of information pushed at

them from colleges and influencers, while transfer students were conducting a more

targeted and efficient search. It also suggests an opportunity for colleges to be more

proactive in connecting with transfer students.

Opportunities to influence transfer students.

We saw some differences between first-time and transfer students in terms of their usage

of particular channels of information. Unlike freshmen enrolling from a high school path,

who relied heavily on direct marketing and word of mouth to learn about colleges, transfer

students relied on search engines, college search sites, and college websites. This indi-

cates that very influential channels, including word of mouth and direct marketing, are going

unused, and that schools interested in reaching transfers should build local brand aware-

ness and increase investment in reinforcement programs like out of home.

Schools do a lot of marketing to prospective freshmen coming straight from

high school. In contrast, transfer students are more on their own. Right now,

they are actively seeking out information, but it’s a one-way street because

colleges aren’t as resourceful as they could be with regard to outreach and

marketing to transfer students, particularly via online channels. There’s clearly

an opportunity for more focused attention on transfer students.



TABle 8

Transfer students: Information channels used in making important decisionsSOURCES: Please indicate which of the following information sources you used to decide which campuses to visit.



NOTE: The chart aggregates 41 channels into seven types.

Deciding which college websites to visit

Deciding which info sessions to attend

Deciding which campuses to visit

Word of mouth 54% 54% 56%

Direct marketing 50% 51% 61%

College website 44% 56% 64%

Search engine 40% 16% 39%

College search site 38% 22% 31%

Social media 23% 16% 18%

Printed guidebooks 4% 6% 10%

fIgUre 12

Type of information channels used every week SOURCE: How frequently do you typically use each of the following in your college search?

NOTES: Percentages reflect daily or weekly usage. The graph aggregates 41 channels into seven types.

Any

Search engine

College search site

College website

Social media

Word of mouth

Direct marketing

Printed guidebooks

Transfer students First-time students

0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

76%52%

38%35%

50%32%

39%32%

37%30%

50%23%

52%23%

7%3%

mOre InfO AvAIlABle


International Students

reputation and job preparation are sweet spots for international students.

Obviously, international students rank global study abroad opportunities high on their list of

good fit schools. They pay more attention to the U.S. News & World Report rankings and are

more concerned that an institution is of high repute than domestic respondents.

Rank order of most important characteristics when thinking about “good fit”: International students









9 High ranking in U.S. News & World Report or other publications


International students as “Super-ultra Investigators.”

International students were highly engaged in the college search. Similar to domestic stu-

dents, the search was a continuous process for them. In addition to direct marketing, interna-

tional students were frequently engaged in independent research—using college search sites,

word of mouth, search engines, college websites, and social media. In fact, international

students used a wider variety of channels on a weekly basis than did domestic students.

Sources that influence international students.

International students placed a lot of weight on college search sites, deeming them the

most influential source in deciding which college websites to visit and which information

sessions to attend. College search sites also played an important role in determining which

campuses to visit.

TablE 9


fIgUre 13

Type of information channels used every week SOURCE: How frequently do you typically use each of the following in your college search?

NOTES: Percentages reflect daily or weekly usage. The graph aggregates 41 channels into seven types.

Any

College search site

Word of mouth

Search engine

College website

Social media

Direct marketing

Printed guidebooks

International students Domestic students

0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

TABle 10

International students: Information channels used in making important decisionsSOURCES: Please indicate which of the following information sources you used to decide which campuses to visit.



NOTE: The chart aggregates 41 channels into seven types.

Deciding which college websites to visit

Deciding which info sessions to attend

Deciding which campuses to visit

College search site 79% 64% 67%

Word of mouth 76% 50% 62%

Direct marketing 66% 55% 67%

College website 55% 64% 71%

Social media 52% 9% 24%

Search engine 45% 23% 52%

Printed guidebooks 14% 14% 10%

75%79%

49%74%

49%68%

38%63%

39%61%

37%58%

51%50%

7%30%

Advertising and the College Decision



Advertising and the College Decision

“ “Students notice advertising—and it impacts their decision.

The majority of respondents had seen an advertisement for one of their preferred colleges

(58%), with online/banner ads and billboard ads being the two types most frequently

noticed. These types of ads appear to be memorable, as two in three students who reported

seeing an ad were able to recall its main message. And they were impactful as well. In the

end, nearly half of the students surveyed indicated that they had a more favorable impres-

sion of their preferred college or university based upon advertising and that it impacted their

decision (45%).

The majority of respondents indicated that advertising “led them to learn more about a

college”; 55 percent indicated that they learned more about a college they weren’t familiar

with as the result of advertising, and 53 percent indicated that they learned more about a

college they already knew as a result of advertising. Many students indicated the advertising

influenced/reinforced how they felt a college’s reputation and first made them aware of a

college (49% each). In the end, more than one in three graduating seniors indicated that

advertising influenced their application decision or influenced their enrollment decision.

Advertising by colleges has been increasing, and while it’s not always focused

on prospective students, it’s clear that advertising is having a positive impact

on student recruitment. As one would expect, online ads were the most likely to

be recalled, in part because they are the most likely to be used. That said, it’s

important that a college’s objectives, strategies, target usage habits, and nature

of their message all be considered when developing a paid media strategy.



TABle 11

Assessment of advertising for preferred college(s)SOURCES: Have you seen any of the following types of advertising for [COLLEGE]? What impact, if any, did the [AD TYPE] have on your impression of [COLLEGE]?

What were the main messages that you recall from [COLLEGE]’s [AD TYPE]?

NOTE: We asked respondents what types of ads they had seen “for their preferred colleges,” not for any college. As such, the results are not only skewed by

what type of media colleges choose, but also by what type of media their preferred colleges use to advertise.

Seen for preferred college(s)

Recall ad’s main message

More favorable as a result

Any 58% 40% 45%

Online/banner ads 56% 31% 35%

Billboard ads 27% 13% 11%

TV ads 25% 15% 12%

Newspaper ads 19% 9% 8%

Radio ads 13% 6% 4%

Transit ads 13% 6% 4%

fIgUre 14

Advertising led students to engage or think about college in following mannerSOURCE: Many colleges use advertising as a way to engage prospective students. Which types of advertising, if any, have led you to

engage or think about a college in the following manner?

Led you to learn more about a college you never heard of

Led you to learn more about a college you were aware of

Influenced/reinforced how you felt about a college’s reputation

First made you aware of a college

Prompted a conversation with somebody that you know about the college

Led you to sign up for an information session or similar event

Influenced you to enroll at the college*

Influenced you to apply to the college*

0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

*Asked of graduating seniors only

55%

53%

49%

49%

40%

40%

36%

35%

A research white paper

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Key InS IghTS

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